My Sexy Boss: A Bad Boy Office Romance Read online

  He reached around me and pulled out a drawer, where he fumbled for a moment before he returned with a condom. I parted my legs and he stepped between them, taking the invitation. Reaching down, he hooked his fingers around my panties and yanked them just far enough off me to expose my glistening sex. I tipped my head back, already desperate with desire. I just needed him inside me again. As he tore open the condom and sheathed himself, he dipped his head down and planted a soft kiss against my throbbing clit. I squirmed and groaned, and he pulled away and grinned wickedly at me as he grabbed my leg and draped it over his shoulder.

  “You’re so fucking hot,” he whispered, leaning in to brush his lips along my ear while he teasingly pressed his dick against my opening.

  Whimpering, I was unable to find any leverage to grind back against him and take him all the way in; I was completely at his mercy, and he seemed to like it that way. He slowly pushed himself inside me, moving at a pace that was both infuriating and satiating at the same time, as though he knew how badly I wanted this and was making sure that I could feel him filling every inch of me. I let my head tip back, slipped my hands around his shoulders to hold on, and decided the best thing was to let him take control. It was his office, after all, and he was the boss.

  Once he was all the way inside me, he paused for a moment, and then he began to fuck me hard, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight as he shoved in and out with the kind of relentless pace that told me he’d been thinking about this as much as I had. I bit down on the shoulder of his expensive blazer to keep myself quiet, but I couldn’t silence all the noises that came out of me; a few moans escaped here and there, but at that point, I didn’t care if the entire company heard us.

  He grabbed my chin, turning my head toward his, and kissed me once more, deeply. For a moment, he slowed his pace, and it was almost romantic. In that split second, I could’ve mistaken the encounter for something sweet and wholesome, something shared between two people who loved each other. But moments later, he moved his mouth down to my neck, bared his teeth against my skin, and picked up the pace once more, fucking me hard and holding me close. I clung to him for dear life, the only sound in the room that of our mutual gasping breaths as we both hurtled toward the inevitable end point. My toes curled in my shoes, one of them dropping off and landing on the floor with a thud. I was close. So close. Every muscle tensed and coiled like a spring.

  “Holy shit!” I cried out, forgetting we were in a place where orgasmic yelling was likely looked down upon. My climax shattered through my body like someone had launched a bullet at me; my skin prickled and my muscles released as my lower body throbbed and shivered. Trace thrust a few more times and found his own release inside me, bottoming out with a gritted-teeth groan as he collapsed against me, my leg slipping from his shoulder.

  He left himself inside of me for a moment, not pulling out, and I knew exactly how he felt: I didn’t want this to be over either, even though I knew we’d already pushed things way further than we should’ve ever let them go at the workplace. But slowly, almost reluctantly, he slid out of me. Our bodies slowly unwrapped from each other, and I found myself inhaling his familiar scent, wondering if we’d get to do this again. I couldn’t get caught up in Trace Prescott’s world where women were there for fun but nothing more. I knew if I let myself get pulled in, I’d end up broken.

  “This has to be the last time this happens,” Trace said in a low voice as he straightened up.

  Sweeping strands of hair from my face, I nodded. “We can’t do this at work anymore.”

  “Out of work?” he asked as he gazed at me.

  I stared back at him. Is he being serious right now? “I don’t think it’s allowed. I mean, the whole no-fraternization policy and all.” Yeah, like I’m really worried about that.

  He shrugged and took a step toward me as he quickly disposed of the condom and adjusted his pants. I reached down to grab my panties and searched for my shoe.

  “I’m the boss, remember?” A smile curled on his lips.

  “So you’re proposing a boss-with-benefits situation?”

  He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t want that with you. I don’t know what I’m proposing. All I know is I missed you, and it was hell not being with you these past few days.”

  “Then why didn’t you call me? You can’t just keep me at bay, then jump back in when you have an itch, and then forget about me until the itch comes back. I deserve better.”

  He nodded. “You do.” He went to the file cabinet next to his desk, pulled out several files, and handed them to me. “This is what you came up here for.”

  I took them and walked to the door. Before opening it, I looked behind my shoulder at him. “You’re the worst asshole there is because you pretend not to be one.”

  “I never pretended with you. That was all real.”

  “Whatever.” I dragged my gaze away from his and turned to the door, gripping the files tightly. I had to get the hell out of there before I let something else happen. Heading for the elevator, I practically jumped in and let the doors slide shut in front of me, then let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cierra

  “Come on, tell me!” Kelsey chided playfully, leaning back on the couch with a beer. “I know when you’re hiding something from me. Out with it!”

  I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling, a grin curling my lips when I thought about exactly what it was I was keeping from her. Yeah, the whole thing was a total mess, but that wasn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy indulging my little inner monologue about Trace whenever I got the chance.

  It was the first time I’d really seen Kelsey since Trace and I hooked up the previous weekend; I guessed some part of me knew if she found out she’d be furious with me, and I didn’t want to face up to that. She still seemed pretty hung up on him, and I felt like a grade-A asshole for going behind her back to indulge whatever it was Trace and I shared, however intense it was and however much I enjoyed it.

  “It’s really nothing,” I assured her. “Just a crush. That’s all.”

  She leaned in. “Is it that Cory guy? What’s he like? Is it time for me to Facebook stalk him to see if I approve?”

  “No, really, it’s fine.” I waved a hand.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually dating someone again. It’s been so long since you were with someone you actually seemed to like.”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault that most of the men in this city are trash.” I didn’t want to be having this conversation. I wanted to steer us somewhere else entirely, because I knew as long as we were on the subject, there was a chance that I’d let something slip, tipping her off that something had happened—hell, was happening between Trace and me.

  “So true. Most of the men in this city are fucking trash.”

  I eyed her for a moment. She’d called me earlier in the week, sounding emotional, but I couldn’t figure out why. As far as I knew, she was still seeing Chandler and dating a few other guys, so I wasn’t sure what was up with her. One thing I’d bet on was it involved a man; Kelsey’s whole life revolved around men.

  “What’s been going on with you?” I asked, and her head snapped up from where she had been picking at the beer label for the last minute or so.

  Her eyes met mine, then darted away. “Nothing. I’ve just been….” She trailed off just as I had earlier, leaving the words hanging in the air.

  “Go on.”

  She shook her head. “Nothing, really.”

  I held my hands up. “Whatever you say. Just know I’m here to listen if something’s bothering you.”

  She nodded, and for a few minutes, a thick silence filled the space between us. I lifted my beer toward my lips, letting it dangle in the air for a second before I spoke. “What was Trace like when you dated him?” I took a big gulp in hopes it would calm down my jitters.

  Kelsey frowned. “What do you mean? Like, in what way?” She crumpl
ed the beer label in her hand. “You probably know him better than I do. You guys work together now.”

  I half shrugged. “Yeah, but not really. I mean, he runs the company and all that, but I’m just downstairs trying to keep things moving.”

  “What do you want to know?” She gave a small sigh and her lips puffed out. Finishing her beer, she cracked another, immediately taking a sip.

  “I don’t know.” I ran my fingers through my hair. I just wanted to talk about him. I couldn’t get him out of my mind, and even though I put on a brave face, I was crazy about him. And he acted as though he liked me. The passion and heat we had between us didn’t seem to want to leave us alone. All I wanted was to see and spend time with him. I hadn’t felt this drawn to a man or this crazy about one in forever.

  “Well, you know I think he’s a giant asshole.” There was an edge to her voice. “He’s mean and manipulative, and I wouldn’t wish him on my worst enemy.”

  “Right, good to know,” I muttered.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why? What do you think of him?”

  “I only know him as my boss. He’s smart and seems to care about us—his employees.”

  “I don’t know how he is as a boss, but he’s a jerk when it comes to women. I think his goal is to fuck the under-thirty-five female population in San Francisco.” She laughed dryly, but her gaze never left my face. “Do you have a crush on him? I wouldn’t blame you. He’s damn good-looking, and believe me, he knows it.”

  My heart jumped into my throat and I put the empty beer bottle to my lips, pretending to drink from it.

  “You wouldn’t be his type anyway,” Kelsey said as she flipped her hair over her shoulders.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, dread weaving through me.

  “He likes them blonde and real busty. Like me.” She threw me a cold smile as her gaze flickered to my chest.

  Now, I’m not exactly flat-chested, so I figured Kelsey’s remark was meant to make me feel like crap. I cleared my throat. “Are you over him?”

  “He hurt me like hell, but I’m not gonna let him ruin my life. You know I don’t have a shortage of men who want to date me. Chandler’s so in love with me, it’s cute. I’m just telling you not to fall for his charms because he’s nothing but a player. He knows how to seduce a woman, I’ll give him that. But once he’s had his fill of her, he just moves on.”

  “I’m just glad you’ve moved on.” Kelsey not pining away for Trace took the guilt out of the equation for me. The Trace she described wasn’t my Trace, but maybe the Trace I knew was the fake one he used when he wanted to dupe a woman like me. Being a good judge of character was one of my strong suits, and I didn’t think I was that far off base with him. He really was a nice guy, even if he was a little bossy and spoiled.

  “You should keep away from him and stick to that guy Cory.” Kelsey nudged me with her foot, bringing me out of my musings. I smiled weakly.

  Cory had texted me the day after the launch asking how everything went. I’d been so wrapped up with Trace that I only answered briefly, and when he’d called me, I didn’t pick up. Since he’d been back, he’d asked me out to dinner and lunch a few times, but I wasn’t interested in going. The truth was my feelings were just for Trace, and it wasn’t fair to keep going out with Cory and lead him on. I had no idea what was going to happen between Trace and me, but I couldn’t switch off my feelings for him like a light switch. I wished I could because it would be a lot easier. Why did I have to fall for Kels’s ex and my boss? I couldn’t count the number of eligible men I’d met over the years since college, yet he was the first one to have me feeling that sweaty-palmed, fluffy-headed crush. Maybe this was the universe’s way of putting me in my place, of reminding me that no matter how in control I thought I was, things could spin out on me at any moment.

  “Hey, hey.” Kelsey waved her hand in front of me. “Earth to Cierra. Calling in.”

  “Sorry. I just have so much work stuff on my mind.” That was the understatement of the year.

  “Let’s stop talking about men, and Trace in particular, and go out for some fun.”

  I wanted nothing more than to stop talking and thinking about Trace, so I let her babble on for a while as my mind drifted to why I wanted to hang out with Kelsey. It seemed like I was nothing more than a sounding board. She never asked about my work, and she hadn’t mentioned the launch at all until I brought it up. Hanging with her was like spending the night listening to a series of monologues.

  I looked up at Kelsey, and for a moment, it was like I saw her for the first time. She was the most self-absorbed person I knew, expecting the world to twist around everything she wanted and needed without any kind of thought for anyone else. I remembered all the times when she’d called in tears about some guy and would push me to go out with her even though I’d told her I had to work the next day, or I was too tired. Whenever I wanted to go out, if she didn’t want to, she wouldn’t budge. Our friendship was very one-sided, and it was getting real old.

  “… so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how this pans out,” she sighed, finishing some long, dramatic anecdote about her job that I’d completely tuned out without realizing it. I blinked, snapping back to reality, and shrugged.

  “I guess so,” I agreed, looking down at my beer. Even though I had just started it, I suddenly wasn’t much in the mood to continue the night any further. “Hey, can we call it?” I faked a yawn, stretching and tipping my head back. “I’m tired. It was a long week.”

  She paused for a moment, her lips pressed flat and her brow wrinkled. “You’re really going to sit home on a Friday night?”

  “Yeah. You know I’m usually dragging my ass on Fridays.”

  “Whatever,” she snapped, getting to her feet and dumping her beer bottle loudly on the coffee table next to the couch. “I’ll catch you later.”

  Grabbing her bag, she stormed out before I had the chance to walk her to the door. In that moment, I wondered if Kelsey even knew how to be a friend.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Trace

  The rapidly falling night erased the lingering light as I reclined against my car, looking up to the brightly lit window in Cierra’s apartment. A few minutes before, I’d seen her pass by it, and I pictured her grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and settling on the couch. I smiled when I thought of her couch; it was an explosion of color and design and so unlike anything I had at my place. It reminded me of her: unconventional and vibrant.

  I tipped my head back and stared at the faint stars in the dark, moonless sky. It’d been almost two weeks since we fucked in my office, and she’d been on my mind ever since. Even my buddies had noticed something was eating at me when we’d met up at Benny’s for a few beers the previous Saturday. Nick had said I was sulking over a woman, and Drew, Jeff, and JP had laughed, ribbing me about needing to get laid. They didn’t know the half of it. Nothing felt the same to me without Cierra around.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and crossed the street. Glancing around for any sign of the black Lexus had become my habit. I hadn’t seen it again, and I began to wonder if Cierra had been right about being paranoid about it. Pausing at the glass doors for a second, I opened them and stepped into the vestibule, rang the buzzer next to her apartment number, and leaned back on my boot heels.

  “Yes?” Her voice crackled over the intercom.

  “Hey. How are you?”

  A long pause. Too long. I didn’t think she was going to respond, so I turned to leave.

  “Okay. You?”

  “Not so good.”

  “How come?”

  I shifted from one foot to another. I wasn’t the best in talking about my feelings to start with, but saying stuff to a damn box wasn’t cutting it. “Can I come up? I don’t want to have a conversation with a fucking intercom box.”

  Her giggles warmed me. “Sure. I’ll buzz you in.”

  When she did, I practically jogged up to her place.

  She opened the door an
d popped her head out, watching me as I came down the hall. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she looked stunning. She stood back and I went inside, the yellow walls, bright retro colors and patterns, and bookcases full of books making me smile. The room was comfortable and inviting, and it spoke mountains about Cierra’s personality. I thought of my condo where everything was sleek, shiny, and devoid of color and clutter. What the hell did it say about me? Cold and reserved? It wouldn’t be too far off.

  “Do you want a glass of wine or a beer?” She shuffled to the kitchen, which opened up to the living room. Her living space was smaller than my master bedroom, but she seemed happy in such cramped quarters.

  “Beer is good. What’ve you been up to?”

  Taking out a brown bottle from the fridge, she looked over her shoulder. “Work.”

  “No partying?” I smiled as she handed me the beer and sat on the overstuffed chair next to the couch.

  “Not really. I have too many accounts. What about you?”

  “The same. Work can be pretty consuming.” I took a long pull and thumbed the bottom of the bottle.

  Looking down, she crossed her arms and twirled a long strand of hair around her finger.

  “Are you nervous?” I asked.

  Looking up, she shook her head. “No. Why? Should I be?”

  I chuckled. “You shouldn’t be. I only asked because I’ve noticed when you’re nervous or embarrassed, you wrap strands of hair around your fingers. You’re doing it now.”

  Immediately she dropped her hand to her lap. “I’m not nervous. Why are you here?”

  “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop in to see how you’re doing.” I took another pull.

  “You could’ve just taken the stairs down two flights at work and found out.”

  “True… but this way isn’t so businesslike.”

  “How is it we haven’t run into each other at work? Have you been avoiding me?”

  “I could ask you the same question.” I captured her gaze.